Family health and oral health

Abstract

Various organizations and international declarations, state the importance primary health care (PHC), transforming it into a fundamental component in the health care system. This advances in Chile since 1924, giving birth to Social Medicine, which was consolidated until 1973, When political and state restructuring changes the health concept. It stars changing since 2003, suggesting moving from the traditional care model to a model of care with a comprehensive family and community health approach. In this new vision of health care, the family constitutes the main resource for health promotion and prevention of disease, implying that family health should have a holistic vision of the individual. Oral health has important implications in the condition of general health, taking oral health beyond the mouth, returning to professionals in responsible for focusing their knowledge towards the promotion of dental practices healthy houses. There are obstacles associated with this approach, mainly associated lack of resources, resistance to change, lack of understanding and participation of the patient, generating a segmented vision and separating both health components. Even so, development opportunities are glimpsed, intersectoral work is relevant for family and dental health, since determinants of health can be intervene more effectively if they are addressed in different scenarios, such as educational establishments, work spaces, among others.